The NFL is already starting to intentionally leak some of the biggest games on the 2026 schedule, and the Detroit Lions have made the early list. On Monday, Amazon Prime announced that the Buffalo Bills will host the Lions in the Week 2 edition of “Thursday Night Football.”
That will also be the debut of Buffalo’s new stadium.With the Lions already known to have a game in Munich, Germany and their annual Thanksgiving Day game, Detroit is already up to three nationally televised games for the 2026
season, without even knowing the specifics of anything other than one game in the upcoming year.
But let’s talk specifically about primetime. Detroit has been a fixture on primetime television over the past three years. Excluding Thanksgiving, here’s how many primetime games the Lions have had each of the past three seasons:
2023: 5
2024: 6
2025: 5
So let’s make a prediction for 2026. Today’s Question of the Day is:
How many primetime games will the Lions have in 2026?
My answer: I actually think the Lions will drop down to just four primetime games for two reasons.
First, I think there is going to be a little bit of Lions fatigue. Detroit has been in the national spotlight for three years now, and after a disappointing season, I think the league may look for more fresh stories. Teams like the Bears, Patriots, and Broncos could see more attention, and that has to come from somewhere.
The other reason is Detroit’s schedule is not particularly chock-full of candidates for the primetime spotlight. Sure any games against the Packers or Bears could easily be put into those timeslots. But the out-of-division games aren’t that attractive. Outside of the Bills game—which is already headed for primetime—you have the Patriots, Saints, Giants, Jets, Buccaneers, Titans, Cardinals, Falcons, Panthers, and Dolphins. You could argue for the Patriots, Giants, and Buccaneers, but that’s about it.
If the league still thinks Detroit can draw the ratings they have over the past few seasons, I wouldn’t be shocked if they’re at six primetime games again. But I just think some of that balloon has deflated after last year’s disappointing season.
What do you think? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comment section.
